(I’ve seen this tag all over the book blogging community and thought it was high time I did it myself! I think at one point someone did actually tag me in it, but then I completely forgot to do it. Also, doing it now after the initial craze appears to have died down somewhat is probably a good idea, since for a while it seems as though every other bookish post I saw was about this tag.)

Without any further ado, here are the rules:

Post one quote a day for three consecutive days

Nominate three new bloggers each day

Let’s get started!

Today’s quote:

“Her life was a series of zigzags. At nineteen, she was anxious.”

– The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

This novel, later adapted into the 2015 film Carol, is chock-full of beautiful quotes about love… but this one stands out to me, too. It’s so real. It does a wonderful job of capturing the uncertainty of that age, the worry that this feeling of flying by the seat of your pants and pretending like you know what you’re doing will never ever go away.

(I’ve seen this tag all over the book blogging community and thought it was high time I did it myself! I think at one point someone did actually tag me in it, but then I completely forgot to do it. Also, doing it now after the initial craze appears to have died down somewhat is probably a good idea, since for a while it seems as though every other bookish post I saw was about this tag.)

Without any further ado, here are the rules:

Post one quote a day for three consecutive days

Nominate three new bloggers each day

Let’s get started!

Today’s quote:

“Gracious ignored him. ‘A farmer’s daughter, she was, though back then every girl was a farmer’s daughter. Or a farmer. She had long hair like rope, and a nose. All her eyes were blue and she had a smile like a radiant hole in the ground, with teeth. God, she was beautiful.’

‘She sounds terrifying,’ said Donegan.

‘Hush, you. I will hear no bad word spoken of your sister.'”

– The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

This passage made me laugh out loud at its absolute absurdity and the twist at the end! I promise you it becomes 210% funnier when you imagine it said in a very thick Irish accent. God, I love Derek Landy’s sense of humor. Always cheers me up when I’m feeling down!

I’ve seen this tag all over the book blogging community and thought it was high time I did it myself! I think at one point someone did actually tag me in it, but then I completely forgot to do it. Also, doing it now after the initial craze appears to have died down somewhat is probably a good idea, since for a while it seems as though every other bookish post I saw was about this tag.

Without any further ado, here are the rules:

Post one quote a day for three consecutive days

Nominate three new bloggers each day

Let’s get started!

Today’s quote:

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”

– The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence

I’ve never read this book and tbh I don’t know if I want to? Because I’ve heard that T.E. Lawrence, AKA the famous “Lawrence of Arabia,” expressed some pretty racist views in it. I adore this quote, though. Never fails to make a chill run through me. I actually wrote it on the inside front cover of my planner to remind me to keep working hard!

I never intended to write a follow-up post to my two-part catalog of my favorite study music available on YouTube. And yet now here I am with the FOURTH installment??? There’s just so many good tunes out there.

Once again, I’m sharing music without lyrics because I can’t concentrate with so many words in my eardrums! Also, I focus on medleys, mixes, and ambient music, rather than entire soundtracks or scores… because the latter are a lot easier to find.

Enjoy!

Never played Skyrim, but video game music is designed to aid concentration. This is a lovely ambient mix I like to listen to during, say, weekend morning study sessions!

Most fanmade suites I’ve found that feature music from only one movie aren’t all that long… because there just isn’t that much to include without reproducing the entire film score and running into copyright infringement issues! This one is nice and long, though, perfect for one study session – after which I can take a quick break to stretch, get something to drink, and find new music for the next session.

I love this score oh so much. Like the movie, it has some of the same humor + childlike joy as the original Harry Potter movies, but at the same time feels more grown-up, serious, and eerie.

Really looking forward to hearing what the composer, James Newton Howard, has to offer us in Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald!

I find this a really inventive mix because it combines movies not only from multiple genres and composers (Finding Nemo, Twilight: New Moon, The Danish Girl), but from the last thirty years or so as well… some of the Star Wars mixes I love do that as well, but obviously it’s a lot easier to make such a fanmix when you’re working within the same series or franchise!

Do you ever Academically Panic™? Yeah, me too. This video is super soothing… perfect to listen to while working on stressful projects. (Although maybe not so good for late-night sessions since I’m already pretty sleepy by then! I get up early lol.)

If you’ve read my previous YouTube study music posts, you may recognize the username Jorah the Andal! I absolutely LOVE their mixes; they’re all so creative + beautiful + seamlessly edited. Whether you’re reading, writing a paper, or solving equations, this music from Man of Steel will make even the most dull homework session sound about ten times more epic.

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What music do you love listening to while you study? I’m always on the lookout for something new, so be sure to leave your recs (and while you’re at it, links to them too pls?) in the comments below!

Today’s tag is inspired by the first anime I ever watched, Ouran High School Host Club! My sophomore-year roommate, Bridget, convinced me to watch it and from there we’ve made our way through several other shows. While Ouran isn’t my favorite anime, it’s not one I can easily forget, either, since after all it was my introduction to the genre. (Keep reading to learn which one is my favorite!)

theme song.

a misleading character

Gonna cheat just a wee bit and count the One Ring as a character! It leads countless, otherwise good people astray. Even though who manage to escape from its influence, such as Frodo and Bilbo, are forever changed and no longer feel at home in Middle-earth.

haruhi.

a character every other character loves

How can anyone hate Reepicheep? I mean, Eustace does at the beginning of the book but A) I reserve the right to distrust the judgement of someone with the name of Eustace Clarence Scrubb and B) even he comes around to the valiant little mouse in the end. Dawn Treader is my fave Chronicles of Narnia book partially bc Reepicheep plays such a large role!

tamaki

a character who started a movement

Right away, I thought of the scene where Yossarian moans during a briefing, which causes the other soldiers to laugh and echo him, disrupting the meeting. Another character who fits the bill would be Milo Minderbinder, who builds a vast syndicate dealing in food, materiel, and other goods.

kyoya.

a character with parental issues

Luckily, Gregor doesn’t clash with his parents often… but he has issues all the same. For a start, his dad disappeared when he was nine, two years before the first book in the series begins. As a result, Gregor has to help his mom take care of his two younger sisters and ailing grandma. That’s a lot for ANYONE, let alone a not-yet-teenager, to handle.

kaoru & hikaru.

brotherly love

There are few fictional friendships I love more than the one shared by the four Aglionby boys – Ronan, Noah, Adam, and Gansey. I feel as though I knew them once… and now I miss them!

mori.

a character who is scary on the outside but a bundle of fluff on the inside

That describes most of the characters in this series, tbh – unless you hurt someone they love. If that happens, then WATCH OUT. Otherwise, though, I think they’d make for the very best friends, joking and loyal as they are.

honey.

a character who loves to eat

Who can forget Bruce Bogtrotter and his enormous chocolate cake? Matilda was one of the first novels I read on my own and I remember feeling utterly sick by the end of the scene at the thought of having to eat so much.

But I still love chocolate cake.

renge.

a tag-along character

Although Jomny is technically the protagonist, he somehow feels like the sidekick of his own story, forever trailing after the various inhabitants of Earth (who he believes are all “humabns”) as they go about their daily lives. Through drawings and bursts of text, we learn more about Jomny as he, in turn, learns about happiness, friendship, and this planet.

nekozawa.

a character who likes the dark side

Aaaaah, I don’t want to give away the plot of the book, but let’s just say there is a MAJOR CHARACTER who is not what he seems. As I gradually learned what he was really up to and all that he’d done to get to the point he was at, I actually gasped out loud several times. A challenging book, but so so worth it in the end.

And as always, feel free to participate whether or not I tagged you. (Or ignore this tag, if you so choose.

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Have you ever watched anime? Do you have a favorite? Any recommendations?

P.S. I must confess that my fav anime is Bananya, which is about a tiny cat who lives inside a banana and has super-short episodes! I wish I could say it was something a little more, um, highbrow, but I can’t help it. I love cats and pastel colors and soft things.

Helloooooo! I’m here today with ANOTHER TAG, this one borrowed from Liz @ Out of Coffee, Out of Mind. Inspiration is a beauteous thing, so I thought I’d give this tag a try!

Enjoy!

What is one of the most inspiring things for you?

Music! Especially film scores. Sometimes they’re so good I tear up even though the scene that’s playing out in front of me isn’t particularly sad… I just get that emotional. It makes me want to write stories that will make others feel the same way. And then I start dreaming…

But yeah, music in general. I can’t stand to write or even brainstorm without music; having only my own thoughts for company drives me up the wall. MUSIC IS MY PAL.

Where do you look for inspiration?

EVERYWHERE. Over the years, I’ve had countless professors tell me that no matter whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you need to keep your eyes open for what most people wouldn’t even glance at. I love looking for the little things that all too often go unnoticed. The inscriptions inside old books. Bizarre posters seeking missing persons or pets or property. The clutter that people keep even when they have no use for it.

When and where does inspiration tend to hit you?

When I’m bored, generally, which is nice. Whether I’m walking to class or waiting to fall asleep, there’s usually a miniature movie playing in my head while the rest of me remains on autopilot.

I also get a lot of inspiration on long road trips! I don’t get carsick from reading, so I do sometimes bring books along, but just as often I don’t bother to because I know the immense stretch of quiet time + the sights around me will kick my mind into high gear.

What is the first thing you do when inspiration strikes?

Lately? I make a note of it on my phone. A few years ago, when I didn’t have one, I relied on pen and paper more, and I still keep both in my purse just in case. I have a terrible memory and can’t be trusted to remember everything I come up with otherwise!

What is the most inspiring book, song, website, et cetera you’ve found?

Ahhh, don’t ask me such difficult questions! Even the worst media I consume is inspiring in a way, since it motivates me to do better lmao. As for specific items that remind me of ALL THE POSSIBILITIES of writing… Where The Wild Things Are. Star Wars. The Lord of the Rings film scores. Any David Bowie album. Jurassic Park – both the book and the movie. Shakespeare. The Polar Express. “Rocket Man” by Elton John.

What is one piece of advice you would give to people struggling for inspiration?

I’m probably going against everything this tag stands for by saying this, but… inspiration isn’t everything. It’s not magical and it’s certainly not reliable. It’s a lot like motivation in that way. You need ideas to write, obviously. But some days you will feel less inspired than you usually do. And that’s A-OK.

I’m a big fan of the butt-in-chair method of writing, where you sit down and make yourself Do The Thing, all the while trying to remember what it was that drew you to this story – or essay or poem or screenplay – in the first place. If you can’t remember, it’s all right to take a break.

But more than anything, we writers need discipline. Ideas are great fun when they’re all shiny and new, but they don’t necessarily stay that way forever. And if you wait to write until inspiration strikes, you’re either going to make very slow headway on any ongoing projects or have half-finished projects scattered all over the place because you keep abandoning old ideas for bright new ones.

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Hey there! Found this tag on a tumblr that aggregates popular YouTube tags and decided it might be fun to do on my own blog. I loooooooove sleep. It’s very near and dear to my heart!

Now let’s get started, before I get tired or something.

P.S. The picture above is a 1995 poster I found in one of the many editions of National Geographic my parents have accumulated over the decades… for the past few years, it’s hung on the wall above my bed at college! I love it so much.

What is your routine before going to sleep?

My ideal routine or my actual routine? Because on days where I’m kicking ASS at this whole adulthood + responsibility thing, I stop using all my digital devices at nine and quit doing homework at ten.

My goal is to be in bed by 10:30-10:45 and asleep by 11, but that doesn’t always work out. Sometimes I check my phone while in bed or work until the wee hours of the morning… but I’ve gotten better at not doing that!

I’m a nighttime shower-er (fight me), so I quickly clean myself up and then it’s into PJs for me.

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

I check my phone, sadly. I wish I could say I made better use of my time by reading a book or something, but usually I just laugh at memes on the Internet. If I can be bothered to extricate myself from the softness and warmth of my blankets, I’ll make chamomile tea to calm me down.

What is your favorite sleeping position?

I’m a side/stomach sleeper, in that I usually start by lying on my side and gradually fidget around while dozing off until I’m more on my stomach. I don’t know. It’s very comfortable. And I’ve always got one leg pulled up real high, like the guy labeled B in this picture.

What can I wake you up for?

Short of a fire alarm or tornado siren? Cats, I suppose. Bring me a cat and I’ll consider getting up, although I may just let the cat burrow into the blankets with me.

Telling me one of my long-distance friends I haven’t seen in forever was there would wake me up in an instant, too. I MISS THEM !!!

What time does your alarm clock go off?

7 AM! I never used to be an early riser and I’m still not a huge fan of mornings, but I get so much more done this way. Plus, sleeping in generally makes my depression feel worse and if I get up in a bad mood that often dictates how the rest of my day is going to go.

What time do you go to bed?

As I said above, I aim for 11 PM. During the school year, and especially before midterms and finals, that’s sometimes pushed back to midnight or even later. But I try to keep nights like that to a minimum because sleep is important! I know I won’t do my best work if I’m exhausted!

Snooze or getting up instantly?

I have to get up instantly, tbh, or else I’ll never ever ever get out of bed because the blankets will accept me as one of their own.

Do you sleep in on the weekends?

Yes and no. I try not to… and I’m successful at that probably 2/3 of the time. Keeping a regular sleep schedule makes you feel more rested, I’ve heard? And I don’t want to waste all that free time I don’t have on weekdays!

What kind of weird stuff do you do while you are asleep?

My current roommate once said I laughed in my sleep and I told her I was probably having a dream about a funny meme.

How many pillows do you have?

One regular-sized pillow, two smaller ones, and a veritable family of stuffed animals.

What do you wear to bed?

During the summer, usually PJ shorts and an old T-shirt. In the winter, I wear fleecy pajama tops + bottoms. My roommate got me dinosaur footie pajamas and they’re the bomb dot com.

Do you sleep with or without socks?

With! Don’t judge me. #hyggelife #hyggeislife

How big is your bed?

My bed at home is a twin and my dorm bed is an extra-long twin. (To accommodate the freakishly tall, I guess? At 5’2″, I don’t exactly need all that room. But I’m not complaining.)

Insert rant about how I’ve never understood why some kids have queen beds like damn you’re a literal child, what do you need so much space for?

But I digress.

The first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is…?

Go to the bathroom. And, if I’ve brought my phone with me, it usually takes me a while to get out of there because I get distracted looking at social media. Oops!

Do you dream every night?

I mean, we all do, don’t we? Wasn’t it scientifically proven that we just forget most of them? I thought I dreamt a lot, but then I switched to a new antidepressant and whoaaa so many dreams! And they’re so vivid, too! According to my psychiatrist, that’s a good sign because it means the meds are working.

What dream or nightmare do you remember most clearly?

I once had a dream about my brother and I running through a cornfield at my grandma’s farm… and somehow the corn looked like something you’d find on an alien world. Not really sure how to describe it. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but our dream-surroundings definitely felt “off.” It was years ago, but I still think about it. Actually, now I’m wondering how best to use it in a story…

What is your biggest dream?

What does this even mean? Like a personal goal of mine? I guess so, since I just answered a question about my actual dreams. My dreamy-dreams. Ummmm my biggest dream is to HAVE A GODDAMN WIFE and live with her in a tiny house filled with books and cats and succulents! Can’t wait for that! I’m going to do everything within my power to make it happen!